Definition of insanity

Ever noticed how some organisations persist with processes/people/tools that, on reflection, fail every time yet continue to justify their use with the promise of success “the next time”?

Is it too much to ask for competent people? If they aren’t, we need to find new ones. If they lack experience, we need to educate them. Process+Monkeys is NOT the answer. Sure process is important but allow process improvement to flow upwards from the experience of developers, not downwards from the ideals of people far removed from the actual day-to-day work.

Capability is developed through real projects. Abstract frameworks and overpriced development tools are not the solution. And I don’t know about you but it seems to me that more often than not, simply sending developers on courses can often be like paying someone to take time off to read a manual!

Maybe they believe that people don’t matter? That process and tools will ultimately replace people and, therefore, we should simply employ substandard people and continue to improve the process and tools until they achieve this goal?

Better the devil you know?

Certainly it’s been my experience that large consulting firms and software vendors draw a (very) fine line between doing what’s best for the customer, and commercial imperatives such as expanding the account and selling more ‘wares. Thankfully, I’ve never worked for a company that acted in this way but I am unfortunate enough to have been forced to work with them.

I’ve wondered recently if, in some perverse way, large organisations are ethically and morally obliged to employ substandard people. That way they can continue to make outrageous profits. I mean, imagine if they were actually efficient at doing business. Imagine how much money they’d make then. Hehehe.

All companies I’ve been doing work for recently definitely want to change. I just wonder how much inertia there is to overcome, or if it’s even possible.

Hopefully, they’ll realise they can’t continue to repeat the same behaviour and somehow expect different results.